People sometimes laugh when I tell them that one of the most popular excursions we have done is to Bunnings. The aim wasn’t to do a pre-set activity, but rather to go on a treasure hunt for the supplies we needed for the street library we are going to build. The children were encouraged to consider what we will need and how we will build it. As we get going with our project, they will be reading and understanding the instructions for the Street Library and finishing the real project. In the recent summer vacation care program we gave the children a budget, and we went to a great bookshop in Victoria Park - Crow Books - where the children got busy choosing books. When their time was up they piled them up high on a coffee table in the store, and negotiated with each other for what they wanted. They understood keeping to budget and arranged for a discount on the books so that they could get a recipe book that they had spotted (cooking is a big favourite here in the House)! Visiting a bookstore is now a regular fixture on the Vacation program. For the April program we are visiting the Paper Bird Children's Books and Arts in Fremantle. A group of children are now choosing some soft furnishings for a book nook they want to develop. This means going online (under close supervision) and comparing and contrasting what they can get. Their contribution to our environment helps them settle in and feel that they belong. Belonging is important here.
Experiencing belonging – knowing where and with whom you belong – is integral to human existence. Children belong first to a family, a cultural group, a neighbourhood and a wider community. In early childhood, and throughout life, relationships are crucial to a sense of belonging. Belonging is central to being and becoming in that it shapes who children are and who they can become. (https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia._v5_docx.pdf)
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